02 silverado trans issue...

[brelandt]

I had a customer drop her truck off yesterday for a tune up. Spark plugs, PCV, Fuel filter, air filter, cooling system flush, oil change, and trans filter and fluid change.
Everything was fine till I had to drop the trans pan. The shifter cable was in the way. No prob I moved it. Then I removed all the bolts but the pan is stuck due to the shifter cable bracket. 30 minutes later I had 1 of the brackets bolts removed the the other stripped! So I pry it away and the pan clears.
I change the filter and pans gasket and reinstall everything but this time I drop the front driveshaft to get to the shift cable bracket easier. Should have done that the first time.
Anyhow, the truck will not shift. I get the "service engine soon" light and pull a code for the sifter solenoid.
Call the owner and she tells us that she just had a new transmission installed which I could tell by the shinny new metal on a truck with 107K on it but can not answer to why she wanted a transmission service! seems to be hiding some fact from us.
Anyhow, the truck is still in the shop waiting for me to get back on it on monday.
Any clue what might have happened?

 

[brelandt]

I might add to the story that the shifter works fine. I put it in any gear like park or drive and it goes into that gear but when I drive it it feel very sluggish and will not get out of first gear. no pick up at all when getting on the gas.

 

[yonyon]

Either there was an existing problem (someone is screwing you) which you would know about if you had actually done your job and driven the vehicle prior to service or you broke something when the pan was off.

Now that you've gotten yourself into this mess, you pretty much have to do the diag for free. If you aren't able to do so, farm it out and pay.

Live and learn.

 

[Clevy]

Your screwed. No matter how it happened it's your fault and that is the position the customer will take. You either gotta fix it and take the hit in your wallet but keep your reputation,or tell the customer to pound sand and return their broken truck. I don't think she will be paying for the work youve already completed either.
Just fix it. Ya you aren't gonna make any money but integrity is worth more than money

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: yonyon
... there was an existing problem (someone is screwing you) which you would know about if you had actually done your job and driven the vehicle prior to service...


Seems a bit harsh. She didn't ask him to diagnose a problem, just to provide basic services. If I ask for such basics and my mechanic called me and told me he drove the vehicle and found a bunch of problems, I would question his reasons for taking a joyride in my truck.

 

[Gabe]

Is it plugged in?? The last guy may have broke the brittle plastic clip that keeps it properly connected; you just bumped it wrong.

 

[Warstud]

Check to make sure the shifter cable is properly installed.

 

[SatinSilver]

Is she good looking?

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Originally Posted By: yonyon
... there was an existing problem (someone is screwing you) which you would know about if you had actually done your job and driven the vehicle prior to service...


Seems a bit harsh. She didn't ask him to diagnose a problem, just to provide basic services. If I ask for such basics and my mechanic called me and told me he drove the vehicle and found a bunch of problems, I would question his reasons for taking a joyride in my truck.
Always Always Always test drive a car before working on it if at all possible! When you sign my work order you are giving me permission to road test the car. A road test is to prevent things like this thread from burning the shop.

With A proper test drive he may have caught the trans problem with the BAR required documentation.

Of course I'm not going to road test a car if I'm just installing a belt or if a road test may cause damage(IE blown hose). But with things like brakes, tune up's, trans service a road test is mandatory and required by the BAR if the shop wants any chance of winning in court.

Any probems found during a road test must be documented before working on the car. Ths includes dents , windshield cracks/pits, slipping trans etc.

I hope that the OP's customer is understanding because if she's not or this was her plan all along the OP is going to be buying a $2300 Chevy 4L60.

 

[bdcardinal]

What Chris142 says is very true in CA.

However the OP I think works in a chain repair shop. I used to turn wrenches for one and from first hand experience know that management will keep their techs from test driving a vehicle before repair. More than once I was given a car to do brake diag on and the car was already on a lift with the tires off. I would start to put it back together and get yelled at my management for wasting time. Of course there would be issues and I would have my rear covered since I would write "Technician not allowed to test drive vehicle per management" on the paperwork.

 

[brelandt]

just saw in Youtube where the 2 solenoids are on the 4L60E. If you can imagine how the exhaust pipe crosses under the trans pan and how I had to tip the front edge down to clear the pipe you can then see how the back edge of the pan can hit or bump the 2 solenoids at the connection without any way around it.

So I'll drop the pan again and see where I hit it and go from there.

 

[yonyon]

So did you get a chance to open it back up yet?

 

[brelandt]

Yep opened it up this morning and low and behold I hit the clip with the pan and sure enough the connector came out. snapped it back in and button it up. test drove the truck and everything works great now. Lesson learned!